Tag Archives: Adobe Lightroom

Photography Tips, Photography Software

Using Adobe Lightroom to Edit a Nature / Landscape Scene

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Hi friends!

Here’s a short video demonstrating the use of Adobe Lightroom CC to do some quick enhancements of a nature / landscape scene.

Also, I am considering adding another Adobe Lightroom Workshop at my studio in NW Austin on August 28, 29, 30, 31 2017 9am-Noon each day.  The price is $349 for 12 hours of very hands on instruction in a small group setting, teaching the use of Adobe Lightroom.

If you would like me to add the course, please let me know ASAP!   Click Here to let me know!

Now, here’s that video I was talking about:

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Photography Tips

A Few Lightroom Edit Examples

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We just got back from our Summer Rocky Mountain Photography Workshop!   What a great experience. We had a lot of fun as we went out photographing mountain scenics, waterfalls, wildlife, wildflowers, and sunrises, etc.

I thought I’d post this short video to demonstrate a few post-processing examples using Adobe Lightroom.  If you don’t know what “post processing” means, it just refers to what you do with your photograph AFTER you take the photo. It includes the editing you might do on your computer to improve your photograph.

For this example, I intentionally picked one of the more hazy shots rather than one of my “good shots”, just to demonstrate that you can do a LOT to enhance your photographs in Lightroom. Even if you have a photo that you might have quickly skipped over upon initial review of your shots, you might still find it has potential to be made “better” with just a few simple edits in Lightroom.

Note that all of my photographs were shot in “RAW” mode. Therefore the photographs will initially appear in Lightroom as minimally processed/enhanced images. That is because you are supposed to use Lightroom’s many features to enhance the photo. That is entirely different than when you are shooting in JPG mode. When you shoot in JPG mode, your camera might do all kinds of things to enhance the photo in-camera, especially if you are using options such as the “Landscape” Picture Style (Canon) or Picture Control Setting (Nikon), which dramatically enhances the colors.  With RAW mode, your image file will have substantially more color and brightness information embedded within the file but you are expected to use Lightroom (or other RAW processing program) to make the adjustments and enhancements using software to bring out those colors, enhance shadow details, make white balance adjustments, tone down highlights, etc.

Anyway… on to the video.  I chose an unremarkable shot and demonstrate some Lightroom enhancements to improve the shot.  I hope this helps you!

(Remember you can click on the little link in the lower right corner of the video to bring it up full-screen.)


We’ll be announcing our 2018 Rocky Mountain Photography Workshops very soon!  Our 2017 workshops are totally sold out.  You can click here to learn more about these workshops.

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Photography Tips, General Commentary

Liberate Your Art

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Sometimes I am asked if an image was edited with Adobe Photoshop. My answer is almost always yes, at least to some degree. To be well-rounded in your photographic skills these days, it is important to sharpen your camera skills, management of light, AND editing your images on the computer.

I work with all of my images using Adobe Lightroom, and then for some of those images, I take them a step further and use Adobe Photoshop to enhance them. I also use a variety of great plugins from companies like Topaz Labs, Google Nik Software, Alien Skin Software, and others.

In this photograph, I’ll break down the main sections where I edited the image using various tools. My model’s name is Vanessa. She was absolutely wonderful to work with.

Here are the areas that were modified from the original image.

First I tweaked the overall image light levels just a little bit in Adobe Lightroom. My camera exposure settings were pretty much perfect already, so I didn’t have to adjust the image very much.

A. In these areas, I made some Photoshop edits. I added the fake ball of light using the Photoshop Filter->Render->Lens Flare option. Then there was a clothes pin holding the fabric that I had to remove with the Photoshop Clone Stamp tool and the Healing Brush.

B. I did a little smoothing of her skin using Nik Color Efex Pro‘s Dynamic Skin Softener Tool.  Vanessa didn’t really need much smoothing because her complexion was already wonderful.

C. I used my Topaz Glow plugin from Topaz Labs just to enhance Vanessa’s hair and the fabric ever so slightly.  I also used Topaz Glow to modify the ball of light to have a more unusual look.

D. I dropped in a different background using Photoshop Layers and Layer Masks, just to further mix things up and just to give the photo a bit different look from the original studio shot.

Here is the original photo, as shot in my studio (note the clothes pin)
😉

There are an infinite number of options for how you might edit any photograph. This is really a lot of fun, once you learn how to use Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop and explore some of the many plugins.

I encourage you to not get “stuck” in just one aspect of photography. Explore your creativity. Challenge yourself technically. Experiment with different lighting techniques.  Improve your photo editing skills. Dare to liberate yourself to create art, not just photographs.

Happy Photography

Kevin Gourley

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Photography Tips, General Commentary

So You Think You’re Finished

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I am a proponent for getting the shot right in the camera as much as possible.  Get the exposure right. Get the depth of field right. Get the shutter speed right. Get the lighting right. The result will be a better photograph!

That doesn’t mean your job is necessarily done after firing the shutter and capturing the image. So much of the fun of digital photography is the step that comes next. Granted it takes a bit of creativity and (even more-so) a mastery of the various software tools available. I highly encourage you to take the time to learn powerful tools like Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. Explore the various plugins currently available. Push yourself to go beyond just taking the photograph. Use your digital editing skills to make art!

Since you can do so much with a digital photograph to edit and enhance it, or perhaps even totally change it, sometimes it is hard to say “I am finished with this photograph.” The more proficient you become with your photo editing skills,  you will discover new ways to edit your old photographs. You can even combine different photographs taken at different times with different cameras. 

Here are a few examples:

Here is an original image, as shot in-camera. It already is a good starting point. Nice dramatic light.  Nice composition.

The photo really is a good starting point.  I could just crop it a little bit, and it would be fine as-is.  But, when I was shopping recently, I noticed a placemat that looked interesting, so I took a photo of it with my iPhone:

Then, with a little Photoshop “magic”, using layers, layer masks, blend modes, etc., I replaced the background with the placemat, just darkened a bit.

photoshop. post processing, dramatic portrait

The point is, you can create all kinds of variations from an original image and it is a lot of fun just seeing what you can create.  Be creative. Open your mind to use most anything as a possible background.

Use the tools at your disposal, Lightroom, Photoshop, and various plugins to enhance images. Don’t be afraid to combine images shot with a DSLR with images that were shot with an iPhone.

I created one other variation from the same original image. I cropped in much tighter and then used a plugin from Topaz Labs, called ‘Topaz Glow‘.  (At only $69.99, Topaz Glow is a great tool to have on hand.) Here are the results:

topaz labs, topaz glow, plugin, photoshop

Or here is another example. In this case, I started with an image created in my studio during one of the Studio Lighting Workshops I teach. (Actually, ALL of these were shot by me while teaching a Studio Lighting Workshop.)

portrait, dramatic

I then went back through some old photographs I had taken years ago with a different camera while traveling through Austria and Germany. I found an image among those that would work well in merging the portrait above.

With a little Photoshop editing, blending, masking, etc., here is the result:

Here’s one more example. This image was also shot in my studio:

dramatic portrait

I then grabbed this image from one of the photos from my Austria/Germany travels:

Then I combined the two images:

dramatic portrait

Really, once you have taken the photograph, the fun has only just begun.

Here are some of the tools you should check out for photo management, editing, and enhancement:

  • Adobe Lightroom
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Topaz Labs Software
    T    hey make a wide range of products for image enhancement and excellent artistic effects. My students get 15% off Topaz Labs products!
  • Alien Skin Software
    They also make a wide range of products for image enhancement and excellent artistic effects. In fact, their Exposure X2 software might be an alternative for you to consider if you just don’t want to use Adobe Lightroom. My students get 10% off Alien Skin products!
  • Google Nik Collection
    A collection of great software for photo enhancement, and it is TOTALLY FREE! Available on Mac or PC.
  • Macphun Luminar
    A powerful photo editor.  Mac only. My students get 10% off.
  • If any of you are experimenting with HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, make sure you check out:
    • Photomatix by HDRsoft
      Runs on Macs and PC’s. My students get %25 off their products.
    • AuroraHDR by Macphun
      Runs on Macs only. My students get 10% off their products.
  • SLIDESHOWS!
    One other alternative way to have fun with your images is to create a slide show!  Check out ProShow Producer by Photodex (for PC’s). Or ProShow Web which works on any platform.
  • Ready to make PRINTS from your great photographs?
    Check out Color Inc Pro Labs. They do excellent work, plus my students get special discounts!

Want to Learn More About Photo Editing (or Photography)?

I occasionally teach classes on Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop and many other topics. Make sure you are subscribed to my email list so you’ll be notified as I add more classes.

I also offer private instruction on almost all photographic topics. We could set up sessions where I just teach you what you need to know the most, to get you started.

Happy Picture Taking (and Editing)!

Kevin Gourley

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Photography Tips

Chromatic Aberration – Why It Matters!

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Adobe Lightroom has a nifty little checkbox called ‘Remove Chromatic Aberration’ in its Develop Module  in the ‘Lens Correction’ section.

Have you ever noticed it?  Well, if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out!  It fixes a problem common to many lenses called ‘Chromatic Aberration’.

Here’s the dictionary definition:

Did you get that?  If that didn’t make sense, here’s another way of describing the problem.  You may notice that with some lenses, you’ll see some magenta or green fringing of colors on edges.  It may be more noticeable on some lenses vs others.  And it usually will be more visible when you open up the aperture to lower f/stops.

Take for example, this photo I shot in Rocky Mountain National Park on a trail, using my Sigma 15mm Fisheye lens. When you view the whole photo, you may not notice the chromatic aberration, but it is there.

But if you look carefully, in the upper left corner, among the Aspen trees, you will see magenta and green fringing along the edges and the middle. It’s pretty noticeable, really bad in this case.  THAT is the effect of chromatic aberration!

So imagine you took this image and decided to make a nice large 20×30″ print to hang on your wall.  Once you get the large  print, you’ll REALLY notice the problem.

That is what that ‘Remove Chromatic Aberration’ checkbox is for in Adobe Lightroom, to attempt to eliminate the annoying magenta or green along edges. It usually does a pretty good job.

Simply checking that box, really cleaned up the problem pretty well.

So, remember, especially if you plan on making any large prints of your photographs, you should first check to see if you have any chromatic aberration problems and check that little box!

Happy Picture Taking!

Kevin Gourley

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